


I'd Have All the Money in the World

by Dj32430



Series: Rich [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Assistant Niall, Dating, Deception, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Older Harry, Rich Harry, Smut, Teacher Liam, Teacher Louis, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 04:56:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9968075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dj32430/pseuds/Dj32430
Summary: “Don’t you see? All the other guys you’ve dated, whether I’ve set you up or you found them on your own who knows where,” he scoffs, earning a stern ‘Niall’ in warning. “They’ve all ended up more interested in your money than you, right? They all knew you as ‘Harry Styles: multi-millionaire business tycoon’ and became who they thought you wanted them to be. But with Louis, you’re just Harry. That’s all he knows and as long as you don’t tell him what you do or anything, it’s fool-proof.”Or, Harry is a rich bank president and his assistant, Niall, sets him up on a blind date with Louis. The only catch is that Harry has to keep certain parts of his life a secret at first to make sure Louis is interested in him rather than his money, but he finds it difficult to figure out the right time to tell Louis the truth about who he is.Or, young boys falling in love, going on dates, and telling lies.





	

Harry is furiously typing an email to his head of marketing when his assistant bursts through his previously closed office door. “Niall, you know you’re supposed to knock, we’ve gone over this,” he says for the hundredth time, though he knows it doesn’t make a difference.

“I do know that. I also know that when I knock, you always tell me to go away because you’re busy. This just seems easier,” he shrugs and takes a seat across from his boss.

Harry hits send before facing the smiling blonde. Why is he smiling like that? “Why are you looking at me like that?” Harry quirks a brow in suspicion.

“You have a date tonight,” Niall beams like he’s just given Harry the best gift he could’ve asked for. A gift he, in fact, did not ask for. “His name is Louis-“

Harry cuts him off. “Niall. You’re my assistant. Your only job is to manage my business life, organize meetings, update my calendar, those sorts of things. Setting me up does not fall under your job description,” sadly, this is not the first time Niall has tried this, either. The younger man is always telling Harry how he’s so happy with his own boyfriend and that he just wants the same for Harry.

“Okay, I know you think this is going to be like the last time. Or the time before that. But I promise you, this guy is perfect! You want to know why?” Niall is practically bouncing in his seat.

He sighs, not liking where this is going. “Why, Ni?”

“Because he has no idea who you are!” Niall pauses in his excitement. When Harry doesn’t acknowledge his brilliance, he carries on. “Don’t you see? All the other guys you’ve dated, whether I’ve set you up or you found them on your own who knows where,” he scoffs, earning a stern ‘Niall’ in warning. “They’ve all ended up more interested in your money than you, right? They all knew you as ‘Harry Styles: multi-millionaire business tycoon’ and became who they thought you wanted them to be. But with Louis, you’re just Harry. That’s all he knows and as long as you don’t tell him what you do or anything, it’s fool-proof,” Niall is so proud of himself.

He’s right. Every time Harry has gone out with a guy, it was always the same. He’d give it his all, wine and dine his date, thinking it was going really well. That was, until his partner would inevitably start showing more interest in spending time with Harry’s credit cards than with him. As the president of Styles Bank, since he took over for his grandfather after graduating university, he was easily able to provide his dates with whatever they wanted.

The guys were greedy socialites so it usually didn’t take long for their true nature to come out and Harry dropped them immediately after coming to his senses. But he still wants a real connection, even after all the crap he’s been through he refuses to give up because he knows he has a lot to give, besides money and nice gifts, and there has to be someone out there who wants him.

Once Harry realizes that Niall is serious about this, he wipes a hand down his face. “This sounds an awful lot like lying. I mean, what if he does ask what I do for a living? Pretty common first date question, actually. And even if I skirt the truth there, what would I wear? All of my clothes are designer. And that’s not even to mention the car I’d be driving to whatever restaurant you’ve arranged for us. This just doesn’t sound like a good plan to me,” Harry was raised to be honest. He’s forceful and tells only the bits of truth people need to know in his business deals, but he’s not okay with lying in his personal life. He doesn’t see a point in it.

Niall sighs, and how on Earth can he be the exasperated one? “You’re thinking too hard about this. Just play it cool. Say you work at a bank: not a lie. And he’s meeting you at a small, inexpensive restaurant, so just wear a nice sweater and jeans. Even if they’re designer, Louis wouldn’t know an Armani from a Topman. I’ve set up an Uber to pick you up from your place at seven, so be ready. Just,” Niall looks at him sincerely. “Please, just try this. Every time it doesn’t work out, I see how upset you get, how little you think of yourself. I’ve worked for you for half a decade now and we’ve become good enough friends that I want this for you. And Liam says Louis is really sweet, so,” he shrugs.

“Wait. Liam says? You don’t even know this guy?” Harry was almost fooled by Niall’s little speech. Sneaky bastard. “He could be a creepy murderer, Ni,” he’s shaking his head as he packs his things into his briefcase. He’s already decided that he’s going to go, to prove to Niall that this is a bad idea if for nothing else, so he needs to get home and change.

“I’m offended that you think my boyfriend hangs out with murderers. Tell you what, if this doesn’t work out as well as I think it will, I’ll stop trying to set you up,” he waits for Harry’s nod. “Besides,Liam knows him from work. Louis teaches music in primary school and Liam has talked to him a few times in the teacher’s lounge. I think it’s safe to say he’s not out to abduct you and hack you into a million pieces. I, on the other hand,” he trails off.

“Very funny,” he leads them both out of his office before locking it behind him. “Then where would you be without me, hm? Face it, you’re stuck with me.”

“And you me, mate,” Niall smacks a kiss to his cheek on the way to the lift, causing them to erupt in laughter.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Harry grows more and more nervous the closer he gets to the restaurant. Niall never actually told him where they were going tonight, so he had to find out from his driver that he’ll be eating at a family-owned Italian place. And he liked Italian, don’t get him wrong, it’s just he’s never done the whole dating inexpensively thing before.

It’s not like he always throws his money around to impress people, but he liked to treat his dates to nice restaurants where the menu is all in a foreign language and the prices aren’t listed, huge bouquets of expensive flowers, those sorts of things. But he can do this, he gives himself a pep talk before exiting the vehicle and paying his driver.

Niall told him this place doesn’t even take reservations, you just walk in and wait if necessary. There’s even an entire area by the entrance designed just for people to sit and wait since they don’t take reservations. Weird. So he’s supposed to look for a man shorter than himself with longish light brown hair and baby blue eyes before getting a table. He’s not too early, so he looks around at the handful of people there, spotting a match to Niall’s vague description. The man he thinks is Louis catches him staring and sizes him up before walking over.

“Harry?” The boy asks tentatively. And wow. Niall could’ve said how much shorter his date would be, how he was the perfect height to stand under Harry’s chin if they were to be a couple steps closer, or just how blue his eyes are up close, or how his voice sounds like an angel’s. Harry nods after maybe a beat too long of silence. “Oh, good. When Liam told me the time we’d be meeting here I knew I should’ve eaten a later lunch but I didn’t and now I’m starving,” he talks as he walks up to the hostess’s stand and they follow her to a table for two. There are no place settings like Harry is used to, just a couple sets of utensils wrapped in a paper napkin.

Harry pulls out Louis’s chair, earning a wide grin and ‘thank you’ from his date. When they’re seated, Louis introduces himself. “Sorry, jumped ahead of myself there. Nervous, I guess. I’m Louis. And I must say, Liam’s description did not do you justice, Harry, you are quite handsome,” he smirked. Minx.

“Hm, well I can’t say I’m surprised at that. I’ve only met Liam a couple of times. I’m better friends with his boyfriend, Niall, we work together and he’s the one who set this whole evening up. I’ll have to remember to thank him,” Harry flirted back, picking up his menu. “I’ve never been here, any recommendations?”

“You haven’t eaten here? I don’t go out to eat often, you know, teacher’s salary,” Harry didn’t actually know, but he nodded in understanding anyway. “But I love coming here for special occasions and my sisters won’t let me order pizza from anyplace else when they come to visit,” he shakes his head like Harry is ridiculous, but all the taller man can do is smile.

“Let’s get that then,” he closes his menu. “And before you mock me, I like pineapple on my pizza,” Louis gasps. “So we’ll just get half with that and you get whatever you want on yours because no way am I eating an entire pizza myself,” they banter through ordering drinks and dinner.

When they have their food in front of them, Louis clears his throat. “You said you and Niall work together. Are you a banker, too? I must confess, I don’t know much about the lad apart from what Liam blabbers when he gets all love-dopey,” he laughs and it’s the most beautiful sight Harry’s ever seen.

He pauses before going with Niall’s advice, having to look down at the slice in his hands as he answers. “Yeah, Niall and I work at the bank together. Worked there awhile now, it’s not so bad. Niall said you teach music to kids, that must be fun,” he changes the conversation skillfully, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, it can be fun when the kids want to learn something or like a song we sing, but there are always those troublemakers who are out to make my day a little bit more challenging,” Louis says it in jest, so Harry knows he doesn’t blame the kids. “I guess I just have to accept that every child likes something different, they can’t all be music lovers, as much as I want them to be. What about you? Music or sport? Or art? What’s your creative outlet?” Louis leans forward eagerly, pushing his empty plate to the side.

When he sits like that, Harry can see the way his loose shirt drapes his tanned collarbones and his brain short-circuits before registering the question. “Um, well, I took piano lessons as a kid and I quite enjoyed that, I still play some times. I’m not much good at sports, though, two left feet and all that,” he quickly snatches the check when it’s placed between them. He may be willing to date the cheap way, but no way is he letting his lovely date pay tonight. He just has to slip his platinum card into the holder without Louis seeing.

“That’s a shame, Harry, as I rather enjoy a game of football on the weekends,” Louis pouts and bats his eyes. Shit. Harry’s a goner.

“I think I’d like to see that. I could be an excellent cheerleader if I was cheering for the right team. Are you any good?”

“Oh, darling, I’m good at all kinds of physical activities,” Louis breathes huskily and Harry chokes on his water, a bit spilling out of the side of his lips unattractively. The feather-haired man dissolves into giggles. “Oh my God, that was too good to pass up! I’m sorry, are you okay? I couldn’t help myself,” Louis, ever the gentleman, reaches across to dry Harry’s face with a clean napkin.

Harry doesn’t dare move, afraid of upsetting the suddenly delicate moment when Louis’s fingers drop the napkin and end up caressing Harry’s flaming cheek. The moment is interrupted when their server drops Harry’s card back at the table. The two spring apart, looking anywhere but at each other, embarrassment filling the silence. Louis doesn’t notice Harry standing from the table, so is completely surprised when the man is hovering behind him, waiting to pull his chair out.

“So,” Harry trails. “I want to say that I’m having a spectacular evening, and I don’t want to see it end, but I know we both have early mornings. And I know you don’t, but I sure need my beauty sleep if I’m ever going to be worthy of you,” he basks in the radiance that is Louis’s crinkly-eyed smile. “That said, I’d offer to drive you but, uh, my car is in the shop,” he’s heard people say that. “Can I call you a car? Or did you drive yourself?”

“’Can I call you a car’,” Louis does his best impersonation of Harry’s deep voice. “Sound so posh. I actually walked. I live just a few blocks over,” he gestures vaguely up the street.

“In that case,” Harry folds one arm behind his back, bowing slightly and offering his other hand out, palm up. He figures the best way to play off his ‘posh’ness is to exaggerate it. “Please, allow me to escort you home,” he pops his dimples, looking up through his lashes in an attempt to be endearingly irresistible. And it works.

Louis slips his smaller hand into Harry’s. “You, Harry, are quite the charmer. I’d love for you to accompany me, let’s go.”

They walk hand in hand, Harry swinging their linked arms as they drop back into easy conversation about everything and nothing. Louis takes his time leading them, not wanting the night to be over so quickly, but the two do eventually end up in front of his building.

“This is me,” he faces Harry, taking his other hand as well. “I can’t tell you what a wonderful evening I’ve had. I’d like to thank you for that and ask if we could maybe do it again, soon,” he bites his lip nervously and Harry has no idea how this stunning, brilliant man could doubt that Harry would want to spend more time with him.

“Yeah,” he responds immediately. Harry clears his throat. “I mean, yes, of course, I’d like to see you again when you’re free. Here,” Harry regrettably takes one of his hands back and pulls his phone from his pocket. “Put your number in and text yourself so you can save my number, too.” Harry puts his phone away, ignoring the many text and email notifications that he hasn’t even thought about once since he arrived at dinner, which is a first for him.

“Text me when you get home, yeah?” Louis implores, gathering his keys and stretching his arm out as he steps toward the door, keeping them linked by their knotted fingers just a little longer.

Harry silently nods his head, taking a moment to drink all of Louis in one last time before forcing himself to walk away. Looking at his little date, their fingers still linked, Harry wonders where he’s been hiding these past few years that Harry has experienced countless date failures. All the times Harry has wallowed in loneliness in bed at night, clutching an extra pillow and imagining it was a man who needed Harry as much as Harry needed him.

Saying their final goodbyes, Harry stuffs his hands in his pockets, walking back toward the restaurant where he’d called his driver to pick him up. There’s no point in keeping up the ruse now that the date is over. He’s left alone with his thoughts, once again, on the drive home. The grown man can’t help but smile and giggle to himself when he thinks back to the last two hours he’d spent just talking to Louis, honestly and truthfully. He may have _kind of_ lied about his job and he’d not been totally honest with the way he pretended to understand when Louis talked about not making enough money as a teacher to pay off the debt for getting his degree and then there was the whole his car is in the shop thing.

But other than that, he’d been honest about himself. It was refreshing not to have to be so careful about everything he said, wondering if the other person was going to spill his life story to people who would love to humiliate a high-powered millionaire such as himself. But Louis didn’t know that part of his life, so, tonight, Harry was just Harry. He felt free.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

They’re both busy adults with jobs and responsibilities, so they can’t see each other again until the following weekend. But that doesn’t stop them from texting throughout the day and talking at night, when Harry gets home from work to eat dinner and Louis is settling into bed. The young bank president tries to get home earlier than that, but he’s putting in extra hours so he can have the entire weekend not to think about work at all.

It’s all worth it when he shows up outside Louis’s building and gets to see the look on his date’s face when he steps into the sunshine and sees Harry carrying a picnic basket he’d packed for them. Louis’s eyes are shining and he’s smiling so wide Harry wonders if his cheeks hurt.

His thoughts don’t linger for long when he quickly has a body pressed against his, free arm wrapped fully around Louis’s slender waist. To say he’s surprised at the grand display of affection after only one date over a week ago would be putting it lightly. He’s pleasantly surprised. Even more so when Louis leans up on his tiptoes to trap Harry’s lips with his all too briefly, catching the man off guard.

Louis giggles at Harry’s stunned face. “If I’d have known it would be so long before we’d get another chance to go out, I’d have done that a week ago,” the spritely boy quips. He grabs Harry’s free hand then. “Let’s go.”

Harry nods and takes the cue to start walking. He’d asked Louis out and decided to treat him to a picnic in the park. He even googled what to bring on a picnic and prepared the simple food himself. It was kind of fun, doing all of these things for the first time with Louis: walking places instead of being driven, having a non-reserved/non-catered meal, making food himself to eat on the ground in a public park. All firsts for Harry.

They talk about their days and work and their families on the way to their destination. Having texted so much during the week, they feel pretty caught up on each other’s lives, but it’s still better to hear everything in person. Now, Louis will know the way Harry smiles whenever he sends a sassy reply and Harry will be able to hear Louis’s high-pitched laugh when he sends ‘LOL’. It makes the distance a little easier for the rapidly attached couple.

It’s definitely disconcerting how light Harry feels now that he’s been reunited with Louis. He looks over at the petit man as he spreads out the classic red and white checkered blanket on a flat patch of grass near the pond. He can’t pinpoint what it is that’s captured him so completely in such a small amount of time, but he suspects it’s everything.

“Wow, look at everything in here,” Louis comments, settling into a comfortable position and starting to dig through the basket. “Different types of finger sandwiches, cubed fruit, carrot sticks with hummus. Oh, and juice boxes,” he takes those out of the basket first.

“Adult juice boxes,” Harry sniggers. He’d wanted to bring a bottle of wine from home, but all of his wine was very obviously rather expensive. So he’d asked Niall what would be a good alternative. Who knew they sold wine in box form?

“Oh my God, Harry!” Louis grins widely, turning to toss one of the boxes to the man. “Are you trying to get us arrested for drinking in public? Because I like it, my dangerous man,” he winked exaggeratedly, causing Harry to flush from his neck up to his cheeks. 

“Maybe. Maybe I just wanted to see what you’re like when you get a little alcohol in you,” he flirts back.

They settle into conversation, asking the occasional question around eating their lunch. Harry tries to be cute and feed Louis a hummus dipped carrot stick and ends up dropping the topping onto Louis pants. He’s mortified, but Louis just reminds the sputtering man that he works with children for a living, he can handle a little mess.

“Great, now I’m a child who makes a mess of himself all over you, am I?” Harry huffs out, speaking without thinking about his word choice first.

Louis barks out loud laughter, falling over to lie on his side. He’d finished eating and had pushed his paper plate to the side. “Oh wow, yeah, I’d love for you to make a mess all over me, baby,” he says the last part in a deep, slow voice. Harry catches the innuendo and covers his face with his massive hands, begging Louis to stop.

Eventually, he does settle back down, laughter subsiding as he wipes tears from his eyes. He pats the blanket across from where he’s lying, signaling for harry to join him. The taller of the two gracelessly falls backward, turning to prop his head up on his elbow so he can look down and take all of Louis in.

“On a serious note, though, do you like kids? You know I do, I work with them and have a million little siblings whom I love. But they can be messy and loud, which irritates some people,” Louis stares into Harry’s eyes challengingly, looking for honesty and making Harry hot under the collar.

Harry senses that this is one of those deal breakers all the dating experts advise people to make a list of. He wonders if he should do that, wonders how long Louis’s list is. Well, at least it sounds like he won’t get knocked out this round.

“I adore children,” he smiles wistfully. “I don’t have as much experience with them as you do, so maybe that’s why, but I’ve always been good with my friends’ kids and imagined having a handful of my own when I meet the right person.”

There’s a pointed silence that follows. They both know it’s too soon, way too soon, to be thinking about starting a family with each other, but it’s good to know they’re not putting time into someone who doesn’t have the same basic life goals and plans. Neither man is keen on the idea of being with someone they hope to change or fix. That’s just not healthy.

“Me, too,” Louis replies softly. It’s the first time Harry has seen him so quiet and it’s nice, seeing this other side of the boy. They lay like that for a while, less serious conversation floating back and forth, not leaving the park without watching the sunset first.

Harry doesn’t know it, but in the following weeks he passes more of Louis’s test. One, when he excuses himself from relaxing and watching a film to take a call from his mother, insisting he can’t send her to voicemail.

Loves his family and respects his mother: check.

Another, when they get a chance to talk more about their careers and where they see themselves in five years. Harry may have been a little vague, but Louis chalks it up as no one really knowing what the future has in store and keeping his options open.

What he does get out of the man, however, is equal parts responsible, stable, and ambitious: check.

And finally, he catches Harry watching him when he wakes up slightly disoriented after having fallen asleep on Harry’s shoulder while watching whatever was on Netflix. The look in his eyes stuns Louis in the best way possible. After over a month of dating, Louis can confidently say that Harry feels the same strong attachment toward Louis as he feels for Harry.

Check.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The two smitten boys fall into a haze where the only thing that is clear is each other. They make more of an effort to see each other during the week and not just on the weekends. Harry even leaves work early a couple times over the next month to surprise Louis and pick him up at work. In Niall’s car, of course, but his blonde assistant is too proud of himself for bringing the two together to complain.

Harry is falling so hard so quickly and he wouldn’t do anything to stop it if he could. And he has a sneaking suspicion Louis feels the same way. He can’t tell Louis the truth about who he is yet, though, because he wants to be completely sure that their relationship won’t be changed by his money.

He promised himself he wouldn’t tell Louis how he feels without telling him everything, but he can still make their relationship official. This whole ruse has gotten easier, but sometimes it’s pure torture. Like now, for instance, when Harry is trying to plan the perfect date to ask Louis to be his, exclusively that is. Neither man is seeing anyone else, or even wants to, but Harry figures it’s best to be clear with how he views their relationship to make sure they’re on the same page.

Open and honest communication is, obviously, the key to a happy, healthy relationship.

Harry figured a night in would keep him from revealing his wealth and he pushes to meet at Louis’s place, for obvious reasons. He just wants to give Louis everything and anything he wants. He wants to feed him wine and cheese in a hot air balloon over France at sunset. Which is ridiculous, but if Louis asked for it, Harry would make it happen, no questions asked. No one ever told him how desperate this ‘honeymoon phase’ in a relationship would make him, but he suspects it’s Louis who makes him feel this way, so no one else could relate.

Harry has brought takeout with him. Well, he told Louis he’d make them a fancy dinner, but he can’t because he’s never had to, so he ordered a bunch of different food from a high-end bistro and put it in containers from his own kitchen. He still technically brought them food and he’s going to heat everything up, so that counts as making dinner to him.

He also has a special gift tucked away in his coat pocket for his boy. He’s going to be asking Louis to be his boyfriend, after all, and it’s customary to give your date a gift of appreciation and commitment. And Harry would really like to see Louis wearing something he’d gotten for the boy, and would be reassured to know everyone else could see him wearing Harry’s gift whenever they’re not together.

His intentions may come across as possessive, but the thought of someone else trying to chat up his Louis or, God forbid, the thought of Louis leaving him for someone else who could express their affections better made his heart race with anxiety.

The powerful business man, used to leading meetings with other influential people, can’t bring himself to add much in the way of conversation throughout dinner. He’d come in and handed the bag of food off to Louis after being greeted with a sweet kiss. The shorter boy had gushed about how amazing the food looked and, soon after, how fantastic it tasted when they settled to eat on the couch.

Thinking Harry was humble about his cooking prowess, he shrugged off the older man’s hesitance to speak on the topic and moved on to talking about what pranks his kids had tried to pull that day. He keeps his eyes on Harry, noticing his lack of eye contact and seeming lack of attention as well.

“So then the group of eight-year-olds burned the place to the ground. Isn’t that funny, Harry?” At hearing his name, Harry snaps his focus up from where he’d been focused on prodding at his food.

“Um, yeah, sounds like you had a great day, babe,” he tries, not having heard a word. He knows it’s the wrong answer when Louis stares at him a little too long before reaching to set his plate on the coffee table before glaring back at his absent date.

“Spill it, Haz. You’re distracted by something and I want to know what it is that’s so important that it’s captured all of your attention,” Louis is to the point. He loves spending time with Harry after a long day of molding young, stubborn minds, but he’d really like Harry to be mentally present, not just physically.

“You,” he’s able to be honest. He’s been running through all of the ways this night could play out in his head. He’d failed to imagine what would happen if he started the night with making Louis mad at him.

“Well,” Louis is short for words for a minute before bouncing back. “Well, that’s very sweet, but you don’t need to be thinking about me and ignoring me at the same time. I’m right here,” he uncrosses his arms, taking Harry’s hand in his when the man looks stunned that he’d upset his date. “I’m here and I missed you and I’d like you to be here with me, not off in your head. So, tell me what’s on your mind so I can at least join you on your adventure.”

Louis’s smile is so beautiful. Harry gathers his determination and reaches into the pocket of his coat that he’s flung over the arm of the couch when he’d first arrived. He looks up to see Louis staring pointedly at the velvet box he now grasps in both hands.

“I like you, a lot,” Harry starts, eloquently. “I don’t know how this whole serious relationship thing is supposed to work because I’ve never felt this way about someone before, but I figured if I got you something, it’d make you more apt to say ‘yes’ when I ask you to be my boyfriend,” he chuckles self-deprecatingly.

“Oh my God,” Louis can’t think of anything else to say when Harry reveals what’s inside the box.

“It’s nothing much, I just saw it and it made me think of you and I’d really like you to have it, even if you don’t want to be official just yet,” and Harry means it. Well, except for the part where he told Louis it wasn’t much.

But only Harry needs to know that the slightly curved, double eighth-note necklace he’d chosen is actually made of 14k rose gold and almost half a carat of smaller round diamonds covering the pendant. The typically rounded ends of the notes are shaped like hearts and set with two larger diamonds. Harry just couldn’t pass it up, thinking how good the gold would look against Louis’s tanned skin, how hard the diamonds would have to work to outshine the man wearing them.

Louis’s fingers brush over the gorgeous piece of jewelry. He can’t say he’s ever had a man buy him something so beautiful, even if it was a knockoff or fake. Which it had to be because something like this would have to cost a fortune if it were real. But, Harry said it was nothing much, so Louis doesn’t feel weird accepting it like he would if he were wearing actual diamonds.

The blue-eyed boy grins and nods, looking up to meet Harry’s eyes for the first time in too long, in Harry’s opinion. “Yes. I’d love to be your boyfriend, officially. But you didn’t have to bribe me, I would’ve said yes because it’s you asking,” he rolls his eyes at the ridiculous man in front of him, leaning in to capture Harry’s face in his hands and pull him in for a forceful kiss. “But I do really want to wear that. It’s beautiful, Harry.”

Harry blushes, but he doesn’t know if from Louis accepting his proposal, the kiss that surprised him, or Louis’s compliments on his taste in jewelry. There’s just so many things happening in his life to bring him overwhelming joy.

He doesn’t hesitate to take the necklace delicately from its box and clasp it around his newly titled boyfriend’s neck, adjusting it until the little notes fall perfectly in the dip of Louis’s clavicle.

Harry sleeps over that night, after making love to Louis for the first time. His heart bursts with something very closely resembling love when he has Louis on top of him, bouncing on his cock, lips open in a wide ‘O’ as he chases his orgasm, Louis’s necklace swaying between them with every slap of his bum against Harry’s hips. The cool metal rests gently on Harry’s chest when Louis collapses after Harry’d jerked them both to their highs.

-=-=-=-=--=-=-=

“It’s all over,” his hair covered his folded arms when he rested his head down on them at his desk. “It was such a good few months, but this was bound to happen sometime.” He’s wallowing to Niall in his office, though he’s sure his blonde friend isn’t listening.

He would be a sight to see, the CEO and president of a major bank pitying himself and groaning like a child dressed up in a power suit. Thank goodness he’d closed the door so it’s only Niall who will see him act so pathetically.

“I can’t understand a word you’re saying,” Harry’s suspicions were confirmed. Niall is munching away at his breakfast, not bothering to swallow his mouthful before talking. It’s a testament to their friendship. “But I’m sure, whatever it is, it’s not that bad. We will figure it out,” spoken like a true professional assistant.

“Niall,” he drags out, lifting his head only to plop his chin on his propped-up palms. “You don’t get it. Louis wants to come over to my house this weekend. He says it’s my turn since I’ve been spending most nights at his for the last month and he’s starting to look at me as though I’m hiding something from him,” Harry pauses. “Which I am. I am deceiving him, no wonder he’s getting frustrated.” And back down his head falls.

It’s silent in the room, aside from Harry’s whines and Niall’s chewing.

“I’m still not getting the problem,” Niall shrugs.

Harry can’t sit still anymore, so he resorts to pacing behind his desk. “What don’t you get?! I live in a two story, gated mansion complete with a maintenance staff in a private community,” he pauses, waiting for Niall to understand but clearly Harry is going to have to spell it out for him. “He still thinks I’m just a bank teller or something, Niall. How the Hell would a bank teller afford to live in my house? But, if I don’t invite him over, I’m going to lose him,” his voice trails off at the end, almost as if he doesn’t say it too loudly it won’t ever happen. He can’t give the Fates any ideas.

Niall is silent now for a whole different reason other than eating or waiting for an explanation. “You haven’t told him, yet?! Harry! You’ve been going out for three, almost four, months, you said it yourself that you two spend almost all of your time together. And you’re falling for him. Hard. I can tell, but you can’t take that next step if you’re still living the lie,” Niall may have come up with this plan originally, but he never intended for it to go on this long. He’d assumed Harry had told Louis the truth around the one month mark of near constant dating.

“I meant to,” he defended weakly. “And I’m going to, I swear. But I need more time. I know he likes me for me, now, but now I’m just afraid he won’t look at me the same way, that he’ll, I don’t know, be more hesitant to talk about everything because now there will be a marked difference in status between us. I don’t want us to change,” Harry doesn’t want his carefree Louis to look at him like everyone else does. They either see him as a power-hungry businessman because he’s good at playing the ‘aggressive CEO’ or as a wasteful, ignorant snob due to his outwardly extravagant lifestyle. But worst of all are the people who only say what they think he wants to hear just to get to his money. It’s been so hard knowing who to trust, but with Louis he didn’t have to guess.

Niall is suddenly beside Harry, who’s stopped his pacing to wrap his arms around his shaking frame. Niall sighs, leading his vulnerable best friend to the seats in facing the desk. “Things will change between you two, Harry, but that change won’t necessarily be bad. You have to come clean to have any hope of a future with your boy,” he’s rubbing his hands up and down Harry’s biceps, trying to bring his focus back to the present.

Even lost in thought, Harry knows that Niall is right. “I know, Ni, I just, I’ve dug quite a deep hole and I don’t want to have this conversation with him in public so he feels like I’ve taken him out just to avoid a scene,” though that’s not a bad idea. Or it wouldn’t be if Louis were the type to mind if people were around as he yelled. “And I don’t want to pick him up and drive him to mine, shocking him all at once with the fancy cars and big, unexpected house. He’d shut down right then and there, and I’m definitely going to need time to explain it all to him. I don’t know what to do,” he’s a grown man, so he is not going to cry, but if he does it’s not like Niall will tell anyone.

“You’re going to take Louis to my apartment,” Niall holds his hand up to stop Harry from interrupting him when he sees green eyes snap up to meet his. “One last lie. You tell him that it’s you’re place, you make him a nice dinner and you tell him, Harry, that night. Then, you either take him to your place or drive him home, depending on how he takes it. And I mean it, Harry, you are telling that boy this weekend or I will do it myself,” he’s engulfed in a bear hug that brings a smile to his previously stressed face. This man is going to give him an ulcer.

-=-=-=-=-=-=

“You really didn’t have to pick me up, babe,” Louis leans over to kiss Harry on the cheek before buckling himself in. Harry had bought a less extravagant car a little while ago to keep up with the ruse, when Louis started getting skeptical of Harry’s car always being “in the shop”. Harry is officially a piece of shit.

Harry forces a tight smile, holding Louis’s hand in his between their seats. “Couldn’t risk you getting lost, and besides, this way I get to see you that much sooner,” he brings Louis’s hand to his lips.

Louis’s answering giggle is what Harry lives for. “We just saw each other yesterday, you doof. But I missed you, too,” he mumbles the last part wistfully, staring at Harry’s profile as the man drives. The shorter man has grown incredibly attached very quickly. It’s not a normal occurrence for him at all, he’s been known to be rather reserved with his affection in past relationships.

But with Harry? There’s nothing normal about what he feels for the man his friend had blindly set him up with less than half a year ago. They had clicked instantly and had only grown closer as they’d continued to date. Louis thinks about how strange it is, the way life works, that he’s met his seemingly perfect match by chance.

“You’re staring,” Harry pulls Louis back to the present. The usually energetic boy had turned quiet and not noticed they’d parked outside of a tall, well-kept building. “I know I’m good looking and all, but we will have to leave this car eventually,” he teases.

That causes Louis to roll his eyes and jump out of the car. “Well, you wouldn’t know I was staring if you weren’t looking at me, too,” Louis repeats one of the lines he regularly hears from his squabbling students, sticking his tongue out for good measure.

Laughing, Harry winds an arm around his petit boyfriend to lead him up to his-Niall’s-apartment. “Excuse me, I felt your pretty blue eyes burn into the side of my face,” he leans to the side, his mouth against Louis’s ear. “It definitely got the rest of me burning, if you know what I mean.”

Louis can’t help but laugh loudly at this ridiculous excuse for a grown man, pushing his face away. “Oh my God, you’re the worst, love,” he lets Harry take his jacket. “And you’re all mine. How’d I get so lucky,” the sarcasm he’s going for is lost in pure wonder.

Harry turns Louis around, pulling him into a surprise kiss. By the way he crushed Louis’s tiny waist in his arms and smashed their lips together an outsider might think they were either being reunited after years apart or sharing a last kiss. Harry feared the latter.

“Mm, that was nice, but before we get carried away I’d like a tour. And something to eat because I’m starving so I hope you already have dinner ready, for your sake,” Louis pats Harry’s little bubble butt, stepping away to explore.

It takes Harry just a minute to realize he should probably be leading the tour instead of watching Louis walk away. He jumps forward, ushering Louis around until they make a complete circle and end up in the kitchen.

“It’s beautiful, Harry, I don’t know what you were hiding by not inviting me over sooner, but you definitely don’t have anything to be concerned about because I love it,” Louis looks up and around Niall’s recently redone kitchen, fingers mindlessly moving his pendant from side to side on its chain as he looks around, and tugging at Harry’s heart strings in the process.

The blonde man had cleaned and taken down all of his personal items, like photos of his family and boyfriend. He’d also been texting Harry steadily all afternoon since Harry’s forced him out when he left to pick up Louis. Niall and Liam were taking tonight for a date night, but until the other man got out of the gym Niall is left with plenty of time to text his friend incessantly, putting on the pressure.

And he definitely feels it. His heart is beating so fast as he places Louis’s filled plate in front of him.

“Thanks for cooking, this looks amazing,” Louis stares down at the perfectly balanced and expertly presented meal in front of him. Harry’s never made anything like this before, but maybe cooking is a dormant hobby of his, Louis thinks.

Harry smiles tightly, nodding his thanks for the compliment he doesn’t deserve. He’s actually not that great of a cook, but he’d told Louis he’d make him dinner, so he had a friend who also happens to be the executive chef at top notch Italian restaurant bring something over. What’s one more lie on top of the mess he’s accumulated in the last four months?

Sitting across from his date, Harry’s heart is hammering out of his chest and he’s sure Louis can hear it in the silence that falls as the smaller boy begins eating. Harry can’t even pick up his fork, he’s shaking so badly. Not that he’d be able to eat anything with the way his stomach is churning. He needs to tell Louis the truth before he has a heart attack or something.

“Louis, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Harry determinedly breaks the silence. All of his mustered-up confidence quickly fades when Louis’s head lifts and their eyes meet. Harry feels paralyzed knowing he’s about to ruin their care free night, about to drain the light out of the boy across from him.

“Anything, babe, I’m listening,” he sets down his cutlery. Louis’s always been a great listener, a part of his personality Harry has grown to almost depend on when they talk at the end of their respective work days. He was still trying to be that same sounding board for Louis, trying to be better so he deserved Louis.

Taking a deep breath, Harry looks down at his hands as he decides how to start. He’s about to open his mouth when there’s a knock on the door.

“Babe! Hey, I know we were supposed to meet at the bar later, but I forgot to pack a change of shirt to change into after the gym. Can you let me in so I can grab one from the closet? I forgot my key, but your place is so much closer to the gym,” a voice interrupts, accompanied by a few strong knocks.

Harry’s eyes widen. Niall must not have told Liam why they were going out or that Harry would be there instead of Liam’s boyfriend. He hears what sounds like a chair scraping against tile, causing him to pause his internal freak out to turn toward a confused and slightly disgruntled Louis. This date was already going to be bad, but it’s just gotten a whole lot worse.

He starts shaking his head, denying everything he knows Louis is thinking, trying to come up with an explanation.

“Babe? You home? Come on, open up. I know you like it when I come over after working out. I’m all hot and sweaty for you, but I’m not too tired to do some more exercises we can do together.”

“Okay, Li! We get it,” Harry needs this man to stop. It’s not Liam’s fault he’s in his current predicament, but the ‘hot and sweaty’ man certainly isn’t helping.

“Harry?” Liam sounds confused, but hearing Harry’s name come out of the faceless stranger’s mouth seems to be what throws Louis over the edge.

“Who the fuck is ‘Lee’?” Louis’s eyes are blazing straight at Harry. “And why the fuck is he here to ‘exercise’ with you? Is this why you haven’t brought me to your place until now? Is that what you were going to talk to me about? The fact that you have a big, muscular boyfriend,” Louis laughs humorlessly. “That’s just great, and you even had a date scheduled for after you broke the news that, what, Harry? That you’re tired of our little ‘fling’, that you want to give your other relationship an actual chance so I need to go?”

“I’m rich.”

Harry is so stupid. Why did he blurt that? Sure, when the night had started, telling Louis honestly about his real life had been his main goal, but now there were so many more layers.

Louis’s usually sky blue eyes turn dark and stormy, like the ocean right before a big storm. And just like mother nature, this night is definitely out of Harry’s control.

“You’re an asshole is what you are,” the small yet emotionally strong man bites, voice sounding wet with burgeoning tears. “I find out you’re cheating on me, or rather, cheating with me, and all you have to say is that you’re rich. Which, even if that’s true, is not an excuse for you to treat people however you feel like,” Louis pushes past Harry to slip on his jacket.

“I was going to tell you something tonight, too, you know. We’ve been dating for four months next week,” Louis puts on his shoes before facing Harry one last time. “I was going to tell you that I love you. So how cliché is this? Like those stupid high school movies where the popular guy tricks the nerd into falling for him just so the guy and his friends can humiliate the loser who thought he stood a chance. Well congratulations, your plan worked.”

Louis loves him. Or loved him, based on the tears running down both men’s faces. “Louis, stop, that’s not what’s happening, I promise,” he can’t figure out how to stop this train from derailing.

“You know what, as far as you and I are concerned, nothing is happening. Not anymore. Not that you care,” Louis puts his hand on the door handle before pausing. “Can I just ask, did Niall and Liam know? That you were with someone else when they set us up? Because I’m not sure I could handle not being able to trust again, to know that everyone was laughing behind my back the entire time I was falling in love. I think just losing you, or who I thought you were, is enough for one night.”

Harry is sobbing. “Lou, I’m not with anyone else, I don’t want to be. Just you. I brought you over here tonight to tell you that, yes, I’ve been lying to you about certain parts of my life, but not about how I feel. I love you,” he tries, desperately, to reach for Louis, stop the man from walking out of his life completely.

Louis just barks a single laugh. He’s so done with this. He opens the door and speaks simultaneously. “Yeah, right. Well, ‘Lee’, he’s all yours,” he’s prepared to be met with a buff gym-nut, basically the opposite of himself. But he’s not ready for the person who’s actually on the other side of the door. “Liam?”

Liam is stood there, gym bag dropped by his feet and phone pressed to his ear.

The heartbroken and now even more confused boy rounds on Harry. “What the hell? You’re having an affair with your coworker’s boyfriend?!” What is happening right now, this is too much. He ignores Harry’s silence and faces Liam again. “What are you even doing? I thought you loved Niall, he’s all you talk about, you told me he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you. And you’re throwing that all away for this asshole? Nothing is making sense anymore,” Louis is losing all of his faith in love in the matter of minutes.

It’s so quiet after Louis’s shouting that the voice on the other end of the phone call can be heard faintly saying _you’re the best thing in my life too, babe_ before Liam cuts him off. “I’ve got to go, Ni. And I think you should hurry home. Like now,” he hangs up, blushing. “Hi, Louis. Uh, how are you?” Liam looks like he’s in pain standing outside of his boyfriend’s apartment awkwardly.

Louis hasn’t moved, fingers still gripping the door knob. “How am-what?” Fresh tears are falling, but this time they’re brought on by sheer confusion. “I don’t get it,” he sits down right where he’s standing before his legs can give out on him.

Liam takes that moment to step into the apartment and close the doors so they don’t give the neighbors any more of a show than they already have. He assesses the situation: Harry is stood leaning up against the back of the couch, head buried in his hands and Louis is sitting in the entryway, crying silently. “Okay, I may not know exactly what’s happening here,” he gestures vaguely around the room. “But based on what I heard, I can clear up a few things.”

That catches Louis’s attention and he looks up hopefully, searching for any clarity.

“Louis, Niall and I are happily together and I am in no way involved with Harry,” he couldn’t even imagine that relationship. “And this isn’t Harry’s apartment. It’s Niall’s, that’s why I’m here. Why would Harry live in a place like this, as nice as it is, when he could easily afford to buy the entire building?” Liam doesn’t understand what’s happening, but he knows Harry needs to start talking, so he pulls the man’s hands away from his face. “Fix this,” he heads toward the bedroom to give the two privacy. Niall had filled him in on Harry’s situation with Louis, but he had no idea it would come to a head like this, or that he’d be caught in the middle. He did not sign up for this drama when he agreed to help set the two up.

Harry feels pathetic. He crosses his arms over his chest so he doesn’t hide behind them again and sinks to the floor to be even with Louis. They stare at each other for a long moment, sitting far enough apart that Harry feels cold while Louis still wants to scoot further away from the man he though he knew. Now he knows the truth, he knows nothing.

Not knowing what to do, Harry breaks the silence by starting from the beginning. “I’ve dated a lot of people,” Louis narrows his eyes and he realizes that was another stupid thing to say. “Nothing serious,” he clarifies. “Until I met you.

“Niall, who’s really my personal assistant though we do work in a bank, or well I own it actually, told me he had the perfect guy to set me up with. Someone who didn’t know who I am or how much I’m worth. Someone who wouldn’t say what I wanted to hear just to get my money,” he takes a breath, continuing when Louis doesn’t stop him. “So, we decided I shouldn’t tell you about my life.

“That’s what I wanted to come clean about to you tonight. I’ve had an amazing time getting to know you and being able to open up, but I could feel the secrets get heavier every time I saw you. Every time you said how much you liked spending time with me I wanted to cry because I was equal parts elated to know someone like you could genuinely care for me, not just because of what I can give you, and crushed because I was lying to you and you deserve better.”

He can’t say any more without knowing how Louis is taking his confession. He’s laying everything on the line and hoping it’s all worth it. All he wants is a second chance.

“All I want is you,” Louis whispers. He doesn’t break eye contact when he walks over to sit right in front of Harry. “I don’t want your money, and I wouldn’t have cared about it even if I had known, so your and Niall’s little plan has done more harm than good, it seems,” his lips quirk up quickly before falling again, still not completely reassured. “But now I don’t know what was real and what was a lie, and I don’t like not being able to trust you, Harry.”

“In Niall’s defense, he thought I told you the truth months ago,” he mumbles, not knowing how to fix this but figuring he could at least keep Louis from getting too mad at both of their best friends. “Which I should have done, but we were having such a good time and I didn’t want it to change,” he’s still afraid it will, but as long as he still has Louis after tonight, he knows they can work through it.

Louis’s smile stays this time. “Harry, the only thing that would have changed would be that you wouldn’t have been waking up with a sore back after sleeping on my old mattress every night,” both men laugh softly. “And we wouldn’t have had to deal with all of tonight’s drama in front of my coworker in your employee’s apartment. Though I stand by what I said, it is a very nice place he has,” he looks around again.

Harry’s smiling so widely his face is beginning to hurt. He takes Louis’s hands in both of his. “Liam was right, you know. I could buy this whole building. And I’d do it for you, if that’s what you wanted,” he brings Louis’s dainty wrist up to his lips.

“Hmm, can’t say I’ve ever been offered an entire apartment complex before. I’ll have to think about it,” Louis jokes and the two fall into laughter. Louis takes the opportunity to push all of his weight into Harry, twining his fingers into lush curls and kissing him as they fall backwards onto the soft carpet.

“Can’t believe you thought I’d be into a brute like Liam,” Harry runs his hands up and down Louis’s sides, ignoring the affronted scoff coming from down the hall. “When you and I fit together so perfectly,” Louis agrees by slotting their lips together once again.

They’re interrupted by the door banging open. “Harry, I told you you could bring Louis here to tell him the truth, not to fuck him in the middle of my living room,” Niall playfully rolls his eyes. Liam emerges from the bedroom, wet with having just finished in the shower.

“Oh good, they’ve made up. Hey, babe,” Liam pulls Niall into a bear hug, kissing his neck. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you after everything that’s happened here,” he rests his forehead on his boyfriend’s shoulder as if Louis and Harry’s fighting has exhausted him.

Niall tuts. “Poor baby. I’d feel bad for you, but now I’m a little miffed that you’ve showered before I got a chance to see you fresh from the gym,” he bites Liam’s ear, causing the larger man to squawk before growling.

“Okay,” Harry quickly stands, pulling Louis up with him. “We’re going to head out, thanks for everything Ni. Li,” he nods, grabbing their things without waiting for acknowledgement.

Louis giggles as they descend the stairs. “What now?” He asks apprehensively, wondering if they’re truly good again, though he knows they have more to talk about if they are going to fix this completely.

“Well,” he takes his boy’s tiny hand in his own. “I was thinking I’d show you my place and make you dinner, like I promised I’d do tonight, but this time, no tricks.”

“I like the sound of that,” Louis is buzzing with happiness as they get into Harry’s car and start to drive.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“Oh my God,” Louis whimpers as Harry pounds into him from behind. The spacious mast bedroom is filled with the wet sound of skin slapping against skin and it’s driving both men wild with lust. They’d skipped the tour and rushed straight to the master bedroom following a car ride filled with teasing touches. It’s been said that make-up sex is the best, the two obviously had to test that theory.

“You don’t have to be quiet, baby. The nearest neighbor is a mile off. I want to hear you scream,” Harry grabs Louis by his waist and flips them so he’s now on his back with Louis facing away, feet planted so he has more leverage to thrust up into his gorgeous boy. “Fuck, Lou, I wish you could see the way your ass bounces on my cock,” he makes his point further by landing a hard slap to a luscious cheek before gripping it tightly in the hand that he’s not using to support a panting Louis.

Harry glides his hand from Louis’s bouncing cheek, to his crack so close to where they’re joined, up the curve of his glistening spine and back again. Harry wishes he had ten more hands so he could touch every beautiful part of Louis at once, and Louis is in ecstasy. He’s always been very loud and vocal in bed, but he’s had to tame it down since he moved into a crowded apartment building. His neighbors didn’t enjoy his pornographic moans or the way the bed frame would bang against the wall as much as his partners did. But here?

He starts to scream Harry’s name. “Uh, Harry! Harder, fuck, I can’t, give me more. Feels so good, Harry, yes, yes,” Louis chants freely. He would be self-conscious if the man beneath him didn’t start slapping his hips faster at the request. Louis falls forward at the sheer force of it, planting his hands between Harry’s spread legs and arching his back for a better angle. And it pays off. “So. Close.” He squeezes his eyes shut when he starts to see spots flash in his vision.

“That’s right, say my name. I’m going to make you come so hard. Fuck, baby, your ass is so red, you won’t be able to sit for a week,” he reaches around to jerk Louis’s hard prick when he feels himself getting closer to the edge. “Mine,” he thrusts one final time, sitting up to bite into Louis’s soft shoulder, bring them both to their release.

Harry doesn’t know what happens for the next couple of minutes. He doesn’t remember closing his eyes, but when he opens them they’re spooning, Harry still buried in Louis’s tight heat, both men shuddering through the aftershocks. The dominant man doesn’t dare move, not sure how Louis is feeling now that they’re no longer trapped in the lust filled moment. He starts soothing his rough palm over Louis’s side, falling into the steep dip of his waist before climbing back out over his lovely, broad hips. The man smiles at the thought that there will most definitely be marks in the shape of his hands there in the morning.

Louis sighs. “You going to stay in me all night, or do I get to wash up before we fall asleep,” he sounds destroyed, but his sass is alive and well.

They both suck air through their teeth when Harry gently pulls his cock out. “I’ll be right back,” Harry presses a kiss to the back of the boy’s head before sauntering over to the en suite bathroom.

Louis manages to turn over, wincing when his bare bum brushes the sheets. They may be incredibly soft and lavish, but he’s rather sensitive down there, so he keeps rolling until he’s on his side facing the door Harry disappeared into. He settles just in time to see Harry walking back in, still completely naked, cock swinging freely between his thighs. Louis is a lucky, lucky man.

“I think I’m the lucky one,” Harry smirks and, oh, Louis must have said that out loud. Oh well, at least it’s true.

“Just can’t believe I get all of this,” Harry is now close enough for Louis to run a hand lazily down Harry’s torso. “And you even bring me a washcloth so I don’t have to leave the bed. Such great service in this place, I might have to come here more often,” he winks, pulling Harry down to lie next to him, throwing the cloth across the floor somewhere out of sight, out of mind.

Harry pulls Louis to rest across his chest, arms wrapped around his lithe frame and their legs intertwined. “I might have to insist on that. Despite the fact that my bed is bigger, giving us more room to play with,” he squeezes whatever flesh is nearest, earning an indignant squeal and slap from Louis. “You have to admit, it’s nice not having the mood ruined by the grumpy old lady who lives on the other side of your bedroom wall,” he laughs at the memory. “Though I might have to call someone about my bedframe. Think we’ve dented the wall there.”

Louis presses his smile into Harry’s chest when he feels the man shrug. “Hey, I don’t remember her complaining ruining your mood one bit, mister.”

The room falls into a sated silence, Harry mindlessly tracing relaxed fingers across Louis’s back. Louis sighs before speaking. “While I enjoyed these most recent events,” he ignores Harry’s smirk. “We still need to talk about everything else that happened tonight.”

“I’m guessing you’re not talking about mine and Liam’s supposed affair, are you?” It’s not that Harry thought everything between them would magically be better and they’d pretend he never kept up such a huge lie. But, yeah, he was definitely hoping that.

“Harry,” the larger man tightens his hold around Louis when the boy starts to shift around. He’s already had to deal with the pain of losing Louis once tonight and he will do everything in his power to prevent it from occurring ever again. Even if that means physically holding them together for the foreseeable future. His worry is unfounded, it seems, when Louis settles again, this time with his head propped on his hand so their eyes can meet.

“Yeah, I figured. What do you want to know? I already told you my thought process behind this whole mess and that it wasn’t actually supposed to go on as long as I let it,” he presses his ‘sorry’ into Louis’s forehead, arching his neck awkwardly to reach. “And now you know the truth.”

Louis looks into Harry’s eyes for a long minute before softening. “You could tell me why. Why you didn’t tell me sooner like Niall thought you would. I get that you’ve been hurt before by shallow people who never really cared about you, but did it take you this long to realize that I wasn’t one of them?”

Harry can tell Louis is hurt by the assumption. “No. Louis, I knew you were different from the start. You were so open about everything, you had no reservations and that was refreshing since I’ve always had to be on guard. You may not have known who I was, but there are plenty of society people who would love to know my secrets, even if I’m not all that interesting. You listened to what I had to say without getting bored and tuning me out.

“I think,” Harry pauses, trying to figure out what he really wants to say. “I didn’t tell you the truth because I liked pretending I wasn’t somebody important who had to watch everything they do all the time. It wasn’t like I took on a whole new personality or anything like that. Everything I told you about me was the truth, save for what I do for a living and where I live and how much money I have,” he rambles on before stopping himself. “I just got to be who I really am in a safe space. A space you gave me and I could never repay you for that,” he wants to cry with how grateful he is.

Delicate hands caress his cheeks, Louis having pushed himself up to align their lips. “Thank you for letting me see the real Harry,” his words brush over Harry’s parted lips. “Because I’m in love with him.”

They both still, Louis gaging Harry’s reaction and Harry trying to be sure he’s not just making things up in his head. “Really? Even after everything I did to you?”

Louis whispers a laugh. “Yes, you doof, you had your reasons for what you did. You made your decisions and dealt with the consequences. Now, we can move on. What? Would you like me to reconsider?”

Harry shakes his head quickly, causing his curls to end up in a splayed mess covering part of his face. “No,” he attempts to blow the hair away. “Because I’m in love with you, too.”

They end up kissing lazily for close to an hour, hands passively rediscovering each other’s curves and callouses slowly. Louis falls asleep first to the sound of Harry’s heartbeat, followed quickly by the man who gladly handed his heart over to the small boy who, in Harry’s eyes, holds all the power in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a sequel.


End file.
